HTC U11 Plus release date, news and features

Early 2017's HTC U11 is an impressive phone, receiving 4..5 stars in our review, but the company seems to be aiming for that final half a star with its newly launched bigger and better version.

The HTC U11 Plus features a larger screen - without increasing the handset size much - with improved specs compared to the best previous phone from HTC this year. We've put together this guide to tell you everything you need to know about the new device previously known as Ocean Master.

The U11 Plus isn't alone either, as it launched alongside the HTC U11 Life, but we've put together a separate guide where you can learn everything about that phone. We've also been hands on with both the devices, which you can read about below.

Cut to the chase

What is it? A larger and more powerful version of the HTC U11

When is it out? It was announced November 2, official release date to follow

What will it cost? Starts at £699 (around $900, AU$1,200)

In a hurry? Then watch our hands on video with the HTC U11 Plus below

HTC U11 Plus release date and price

We don't know for sure when the HTC U11 Plus will land, but the phone has now been officially unveiled so we know most of the details.

You'll be able to buy the phone in the UK, but there are currently no plans from HTC to bring the phone to the US. We will keep you updated if that plan changes, but for now HTC's official stance is it won't be bringing the U11 Plus to those in the US.

A release date for Australia is currently unclear, but we've asked HTC and hope to hear more soon. If you live in the UK you'll be able to pre-order the U11 Plus from November 20, but when it will actually start shipping is still uncertain.

Pricing wise we know the phone will cost £699 (around $900, AU$1,200) SIM-free directly from HTC. We haven't had word from any UK networks on whether the phone will be easily available or what prices you'll be looking at on contract deals.

HTC U11 Plus design and screen

The HTC U11 Plus may sound like it's just a larger version of the phone we saw earlier this year, but there are some big changes to the spec and look of the phone too.

The screen on the U11 Plus has an aspect ratio of 18:9, which means it fills more of the phone and the company has been able to cut down the bezels to make it almost all screen on the front. That means HTC has been able to include a 6-inch screen without increasing the body size too much.

The phone is 158.5 x 74.9 x 8.5mm, when the U11 was 153.9 x 75.9 x 7..9mm, so the phone isn't much bigger. It's also quite lightweight at 188g and will be able to survive a dunk in the bath or a quick rainshower as it's IP68 water and dust resistant.

There's glass on the rear of the phone and the fingerprint sensor sits on the back too. On the right hand edge you'll find the power/unlock key as well as the volume rocker, and there's a USB-C port on the bottom edge.

The display itself is a QHD+ offering from the company with a resolution of 2880 x 1440. It has opted for Super LCD 6 technology with protection on the front coming from Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 tech.

HTC U11 Plus camera and battery

HTC is using similar camera tech to the U11 for the U11 Plus with a 12MP rear shooter that includes HTC's UltraPixel 3 technology with big 1.4µm pixels that should allow for lots of light. The camera also has an aperture of f/1.7.

There's optical image stabilization as well as electronic image stabilization (EIS), and there's also HDR Boost and a Pro mode that should allow you to take some great photos with the rear camera.

For video there is a slow-mo feature that films 1080p footage at 120fps, which is a bit disappointing compared to most flagship phones now. You can record in 4K though with hi-res audio too.

An 8MP camera sits on the front of the phone, with an 85 degree field of view as well as HDR Boost and Selfie panorama, so you should be able to fit all of your mates into your selfie shots.

This is all being powered by a 3,930mAh cell inside the phone that HTC hopes will last you the whole day from a single charge.

It also comes with Quick Charge 3.0 tech and an extreme power saving mode, so you can ensure you won't fully run out of battery when away from the charging socket.

HTC U11 Plus OS and power

Android Oreo is all ready here and waiting on the HTC U11 Plus, so you won't have to wait ages for an update from Google to get the latest software.

It comes with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa pre-installed, plus HTC's Sense Companion is here to use if you want to get recommendations based on the things you do with your phone.

The U11 Plus is powered by the top of the range Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset that we saw included in the U11 and that has done well in a lot of top-end phones already this year.

That's backed up by either 4GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage or 6GB of RAM with 128GB to play with. If you need more storage than that you'll be able to up it with microSD support of 2TB.

HTC U11 Plus other features

The U11 Plus comes with the squeezy feature we saw debut on the U11 and also featured on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. That means you can squeeze the edges of the phone to launch features.

There's also a new feature called Edge Sense Launcher, which allows you to quickly access some of your apps, such as your torch or the calendar.

HTC's U11 BoomSound speakers are back for the U11 Plus but are now 30% stronger than they were on the original phone, and it also comes with Active Noise Cancellation, so we're expecting some great audio from the phone.